Grillin' Up Great Tuna Steaks

With the weather heating up and the summer months upon us, it’s time to trade the oven for the grill and take your meals outside! Usually when we think of outdoor fare, hamburgers, steaks and hotdogs come to mind, but how about skipping the usual grilling go-tos and trying something new?

Impress your guests with an easy-to-prepare grilled tuna steak and panzanella salad. Remember, the grill can be used for more than just meat and veggies, so take advantage of summer fruit with grilled peaches and ice cream for dessert.

This menu is a definite crowd pleaser. Call your friends, and fire up the charcoal.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4-6 depending on the size and quantity of your tuna steaks

Grilling tip: Turn the grill on high for at least 15 minutes (with the lid on) before cooking. Then adjust temperature to cook your meat.

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp garlic

Salt and Pepper

9 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow bell pepper

1 large red onion, sliced into rounds (so you can grill them)

4 thick slices of italian bread

2 tablespoons of capers, drained

2 tablespoons of chopped basil

Preparation:

1. Whisk vinegar, garlic, ¼ tsp pepper, and 6 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tbsp of the mixture and set aside in a small bowl

2. Slice pepper in thick rounds for grilling. Toss onion and pepper in the 2 tbsp reserved oil mixture, season with salt and pepper to taste

3. Grill Italian bread slices until charred on both sides, remove from grill

4. Grill onion and pepper on both sides, until charred. This will take about 4 minutes for each side

5. Cut bread, onion, and pepper into chunks. Toss in a bowl with dressing

6. Stir in capers and basil

Tip: For an additional touch, make extra salad dressing to serve over the top of the tuna.